Now Is The Best Time To Get A Wii U

I finally get it. I figured I would only truly understand how much fun it is to have a Wii U once I had one, but I didn\’t expect how much of an understatement this would end up being. Eventually, the time was right, the price was right, and I picked up my own console.

Now, I think you all should, too. The Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle is the best time to get into Nintendo\’s next generation.

When Nintendo announced a $300 bundle of a 32GB Deluxe Wii U and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, I knew I had to make the purchase. I didn\’t realize how worthwhile the purchase would be until the system eventually arrived at my house. Despite Grand Theft Auto V already dominating most of the daytime for the good portion of the week, the Wii U\’s arrival nonetheless became the focus of attention of everyone in the room.

The Wii U tablet was quickly passed around by my friends as I set up the console, which was a breeze. Not before long, I was installing The Wind Waker HD, popping in my Rayman Legends disc, and hopping between games whenever my mood changed. I was surrounded by intense gazes that could not draw their eyes away from the popping colors and vibrant worlds of these two titles.

The night was coming to a close as I made my way toward Dragon Roost Island. My roommate flipped the lights down and now I wanted to go to bed – but I wasn\’t yet done with this game session! Casually, I hit a button and my epic adventure jumped to the Gamepad. I plopped down in bed, a full console game in hand, and adventured until sleep depravity overwhelmed me.

It was at that moment, when I was easily and comfortably able to continue my console gaming from my bed, that I realized I\’d made the right purchase. I laughed to myself, realizing how much I had been missing out.

My purchase brought the revelation of how the Wii U is meant to exist relative to everything else in your room. While next-generation offerings from Microsoft and Sony plan to be the main focus of your room, the Wii U instead is complementary. It doesn\’t want to be the main focus in your living room – it wants to seamlessly cooperate with every other device to make your overall entertainment experience the most comfortable it can be. Nintendo TVii is a flawless example of this; the Gamepad\’s universal remote functionality is simple, easy to use and to set up, and removes unnecessary amounts of remotes cluttering up the coffee table. And it never takes a laptop, TV app, or cell phone to look up stats or other scores while watching sports, since the TVii app is already at your disposal.

Off-TV Play could be one of the most underrated developments in gaming\’s recent memory. My friends eventually grew tired of being away from Grand Theft Auto V for too long, so it wasn\’t that long until I was asked if they could go take a ride in Los Santos. No problem, I assured them, as I diverted my eyes to my Gamepad and continued my game. It\’s surprising how such a simple feature makes a huge difference.

With The Wind Waker HD digitally downloaded to my console, I also found myself rarely going near the Wii U console at all. Rayman Legends, being the only physical Wii U game I own, sits in the disc tray ready to go while I can access Wind Waker or my eShop purchases directly from the Gamepad menu. Even for someone like myself, who usually prefers physical copies of games to digital ones, the convenience of transitioning from one game to the next without having to move is astounding. The curiously low amounts of memory that even major titles require is also a welcoming thought for considerations toward making more digital purchases.

This is where Nintendo\’s digital plans seem to really make sense to me. Without ever making a motion toward the console, I can easily switch between games on the fly. Sure, other consoles have multitudes of digital content options, but the Wii U\’s simple execution makes making digital purchases that much more inviting. This is the first time where I almost feel inclined to buy more digital games than physical copies of them just because it\’s so easy to do so.

While popular opinion is that Nintendo should focus on the games and buffing up its library, I think it would be more beneficial for Nintendo to instead focus on the subtle features and overall experience of having a Wii U rather than simply pushing first- or third-party franchises.

The fact is that the Wii U may have had a weak launch lineup, but now, its library is substantial and growing. We all know the “Wii U doesn\’t have games\” argument will be completely dead once people are standing in line to buy a Wii U, just so they can play the new Smash or Mario Kart games. For Nintendo to dive into a game-focused advertising campaign would be redundant and ultimately useless; many major titles have been or will sell themselves and, if they haven\’t, it is because people simply don\’t have a Wii U to begin with.

Nintendo should focus on what people may not know about the Wii U; from obvious features like Nintendo TVii to entirely new perspectives, such as how the Gamepad is basically a big Gameboy for console games (and who doesn\’t love that concept?). People don\’t want the features listed for them – they want to see them in action. A highlight reel of upcoming games may not sway them in a purchase, but a simple commercial showing the smooth cooperation of both the Wii U\’s gaming-related features and non-gaming-related features in conjunction with the rest of the electronics in a given room. At the very least, that would spark curiosity, whereas a montage could simply be hit or miss.

The Gamepad, and the Wii U system with it, is like a window into a whole new world of gaming, except that Nintendo has tinted the window and hasn\’t really shown what you can see on the other side. To properly illuminate the new gaming experiences through the looking glass would be to Nintendo\’s significant advantage. If anything, Nintendo needs to cease relying on word-of-mouth – it needs to vehemently pitch why gamers need a Wii U rather than casually allowing its system fall further into obscurity.

Because there are a lot of reasons why gamers should pick up a Wii U. They just don\’t know it yet.

Bringing you the latest news in Nintendo gaming and the very best in competitive Super Smash Bros. When I’m not writing news and features for Nintendo Enthusiast, I’m watching tournaments and playing some Melee. You may also find me behind the mic on commentary or for a podcast. Follow me on Twitter!: @TheRapture_

@Beau Wetini I dunno, seeing multiple people play it at their Best Buy showcase it seemed to garner lots of smiles, laughs, and spectators. The 4 player co op is what grabs people. When this comes out it will move a couple million consoles for sure

MANGANian that's a tough one. Wii U with Pikmin 3, WindWaker HD, The Wonderful 101, Rayman Legends, Super Mario 3D World, Wii U Sports, LegoCity Undercover, and a few more...OR...Super Mario Land 3D, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Zelda Link to the Past, Luigi's Ghost Mansion. I have both but I don't play the 3DSXL as I got that for my girl who uses it for Animal Crossing. I also got Super Mario Land and a couple games off eshop. I like it but just haven't been driven to pick it up. I think Link to the Past looks like it will be THE reason to own a 3DS. It looks amazing. A must have. I will be getting that for sure.
The Wii U can play wii games as well and it is in glorious HD on your big screen TV. Plus, using the gamepad gives you a similar experience as the handheld 3DS. But if you are cost conscious I would get the 3DS and Link to the Past and Super Mario 3d Land and call it a day. Those two should keep you pretty busy for the holiday I'm sure. Then you can more later. I have seen some people putting up their Wii U bundles for wicked cheap on craigslist though so you can look into that.
Whatever you decide, they both now have a deep library of games with more to come. You really can't go wrong. But get the XL if you do the 3DS...there is a pretty big difference and it is worth the extra dough

I had this same type moment when I picked up Mass Effect3 for $30 early in the summer and switched down to offTV and was like OMG I can have full console quality and depth on a living room hand held.....I ended up playing the game about 60/40 tv/gamepad but loved that when the wife wanted the TV I could keep gaming, The multi functions of the gamepad like VC games, a great browser and TVi as well as the fun Miiverse social network make it a great all in one device. I agree with the OP in that Nintendo has not only marketed the WiiU poorly they haven't been able to define its place in the market.....I just hope it sells better and 3rd parties pick up as I would really love to get a meaty rpg like skyrim or dragon age on WiiU

I had this same type moment when I picked up Mass Effect3 for $30 early in the summer and switched down to offTV and was like OMG I can have full console quality and depth on a living room hand held.....I ended up playing the game about 60/40 tv/gamepad but loved that when the wife wanted the TV I could keep gaming, The multi functions of the gamepad like VC games, a great browser and TVi as well as the fun Miiverse social network make it a great all in one device. I agree with the OP in that Nintendo has not only marketed the WiiU poorly they haven't been able to define its place in the market.....I just hope it sells better and 3rd parties pick up as I would really love to get a meaty rpg like skyrim or dragon age on WiiU

I had the same experience when I bought my Wii U shortly before Pikmin 3's release. I think off-TV play is one of the most underrated gaming experiences of the past five years. It changed the way I play console games. I wander around my house while playing, going from the couch to the toilet to my desk to my bed.

I had the same experience when I bought my Wii U shortly before Pikmin 3's release. I think off-TV play is one of the most underrated gaming experiences of the past five years. It changed the way I play console games. I wander around my house while playing, going from the couch to the toilet to my desk to my bed.

Sure it looks good its just not what i expected when i watched the E3 Direct. And frankly, it isnt anything that showcases the Wii U's power nor is it visionary in the sense that a 3D Mario usually is. Great game...yes...i give it that. But it isnt the kinda game that makes non Nintendo hardcore fans want a part of the action.
So the wait continues.

Sure it looks good its just not what i expected when i watched the E3 Direct. And frankly, it isnt anything that showcases the Wii U's power nor is it visionary in the sense that a 3D Mario usually is. Great game...yes...i give it that. But it isnt the kinda game that makes non Nintendo hardcore fans want a part of the action.
So the wait continues.

Like Mario 64, Sunshine and mixed with Galaxy....that is why i bought a Wii U...and was so pumped for it pre launch...and im still waiting.
So yeah....yes its good to buy a Wii U for games...but my ultimate reason for buying one still hasnt happened yet.
Super Mario 3D World does NOT count.....in fact it is an insult as far as i am concerned...but i get why Nintendo made a game like that.

Like Mario 64, Sunshine and mixed with Galaxy....that is why i bought a Wii U...and was so pumped for it pre launch...and im still waiting.
So yeah....yes its good to buy a Wii U for games...but my ultimate reason for buying one still hasnt happened yet.
Super Mario 3D World does NOT count.....in fact it is an insult as far as i am concerned...but i get why Nintendo made a game like that.

Not for me. I mean...there are great games on Wii U at thebmoment and there will be awesome ones coming. But for me...an open world 3D Mario is the only true game i want to see....so until that game gets shown Wii U has no pulling power for me.

Not for me. I mean...there are great games on Wii U at thebmoment and there will be awesome ones coming. But for me...an open world 3D Mario is the only true game i want to see....so until that game gets shown Wii U has no pulling power for me.

@MANGANian that's a tough one. Wii U with Pikmin 3, WindWaker HD, The Wonderful 101, Rayman Legends, Super Mario 3D World, Wii U Sports, LegoCity Undercover, and a few more...OR...Super Mario Land 3D, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Zelda Link to the Past, Luigi's Ghost Mansion. I have both but I don't play the 3DSXL as I got that for my girl who uses it for Animal Crossing. I also got Super Mario Land and a couple games off eshop. I like it but just haven't been driven to pick it up. I think Link to the Past looks like it will be THE reason to own a 3DS. It looks amazing. A must have. I will be getting that for sure.

The Wii U can play wii games as well and it is in glorious HD on your big screen TV. Plus, using the gamepad gives you a similar experience as the handheld 3DS. But if you are cost conscious I would get the 3DS and Link to the Past and Super Mario 3d Land and call it a day. Those two should keep you pretty busy for the holiday I'm sure. Then you can more later. I have seen some people putting up their Wii U bundles for wicked cheap on craigslist though so you can look into that.

Whatever you decide, they both now have a deep library of games with more to come. You really can't go wrong. But get the XL if you do the 3DS...there is a pretty big difference and it is worth the extra dough

@Beau Wetini I dunno, seeing multiple people play it at their Best Buy showcase it seemed to garner lots of smiles, laughs, and spectators. The 4 player co op is what grabs people. When this comes out it will move a couple million consoles for sure